The Me'Moine
The Highborne seer and recluse, No'lendo the Bard, created far more than illustrious paintings and somber poetry. Among his creative repertoire were a number of artifacts both large and small. The Me'Moine, the so-called 'Game of Seers,' distinguishes itself as perhaps the most unique. Carved from the wood of a Great Runetree, enchanted with High Magic, and instilled with drops of No'lendo's blood, the Me'Moine is far more than a superstitious card game. Its gold-leafed wooden surfaces are painted with effigies that never fray, and merely touching their form invites a shock that numbs the senses. The Game With the start of each Game, new teams are drawn. Teams are arranged as if several cardholders were playing a game against each other. There is no technical limit to the number of teams that could be present in a given Game of the Me'Moine, though the least number of teams possible is two. Individual cards being allied to each other often indicates potential plot, or hints at a relationship between the characters aspected to those particular cards. This list will be updated as the Game progresses, as cards can often switch teams, and cards can be destroyed or removed from play. Disclaimer: Cards, and their respective person(s) attached to them, do not literally indicate that they are allied necessarily. The Me'Moine is far more nuanced than that. Cards being allied could mean that the people aspected to them are, whether knowingly or not, working towards the same goal. Though, the Me'Moine can also function as a tarot card might. A seer or practitioner using the Me'Moine may elect to deal out cards as though fortune telling, in which case the Me'Moine functions rather like a tarot card system. Each card represents different facets of the subject's life, and when played in certain orders can mean different things entirely. The Crests Life *Dreamspinner: a tall, stately woman tailoring at a loom made from crystal, her hair flowing down her shoulders like beaten gold. If Dreamspinner is played first during a reading, she promises clarity and good fortune. If she is played last, she implies that someone is trapped to their fate. Dreamspinner is associated with Ysera and the power of dreams. *Grieving Mother: a woman weeping over the still body of a child, her eyes blue as midnight sapphire. The Mother represents birth and new life. Her presence in a reading foretells the coming of something unseen before. *Faerie: a slim dragon with viridian scales and cheery eyes like gold sunlight, dancing above a field of silver flowers. The Faerie represents playfulness and celebration. If the Faerie is played after a card from Life, she suggests a time of renewal. If played after a card from any other Crest, Faerie warns against complacence. *Keeper: a justicar in flowing raiments of the forest, clasping a tree branch as one might a scepter. The Keeper represents nature’s law, and his presence in a reading implies that great guilt will come or is already present. *Grovewarden: an immense oak tree with violet leaves deep as the horizon at dusk. Given its size and ancient venerability, the Grovewarden suggests tenacity in the face of hardship. If the Grovewarden is played last, it hints that soon even the most stalwart will succumb to something. *Fledgling: a child with brown ringlets surrounding their fair head, eyes sparkling as if with morning dew; they are playing in a field of lilies. The Fledgling symbolizes innocence. Normally the Fledgling’s presence in a reading indicates that innocence should be protected and preserved. If played last, the Fledgling promises loss of innocence. Death *Deathspinner: a man's hooded, writhing face hidden beneath a cowl the color of smoke; the face is astride spider's legs made from bone, skittering over a web composed of weeping flesh and broken arteries. If played first or last, Deathspinner foretells massive loss of life. If played anywhere else, Deathspinner represents politics and scheming. *Hanging Man: a man hanging from a noose, stark against the moon, featureless. The Hanging Man represents falsely placed guilt, and his arrival indicates that someone has been or will be falsely accused. *The Widow: a matronly woman sheathed in black shadows, features hidden save for two crimson eyes that weep terrible blood. The Widow promises the death of a loved one. *Reaper: a skeletal remnant holding a bone scythe, standing amid a field of skulls. True to its nature, the Reaper foretells a seance of the dead, and hints that answers can be found in the worlds that come after life. *Forgotten Shade: a faceless being made seemingly from smoke and black fog, streaked through with violet lightning. The Forgotten Shade represents amnesia and trauma. *Revenant: a silver-hued specter rising out of a grave, eyes haunted with hate. When played alongside Deathspinner, the Revenant promises a betrayal. Alone, the Revenant symbolizes grudges and old hate being renewed. Light *Broken Knight: a tall warrior garmented in chiseled silver armor, bursting with golden radiance. The Broken Knight symbolizes protecting others, and if played first indicates someone will sacrifice themselves to protect others. *Maiden of Tears: a young woman with black hair and a rose-shaped birthmark on her left cheek, eyes like flame. The Maiden brings ill fortune to those who deceive the innocent, and foretells the coming of a new epoch. *Oracle: a young priest in white robes, holding a lamp to the night sky, mouth agape in wonder. He is blind. When played before or after the Martyr, the Oracle represents the inevitability of fate. When played anywhere else during a reading, the Oracle suggests that something once secret will be made known. *Lady of Seven Stars: a noblewoman wearing expensive silks, hair white as snow. Haloing her head are seven stars of solid light. She promises renewal, sanctuary, and salvation for the lost. Her stars are akin to guiding lights for sailors lost at sea. *Creator: a blacksmith at his forge, or sometimes an architect standing before a proud temple. The Creator, as his name implies, represents creativity. His place in a reading indicates that one should create for the sake of creation. *Martyr: an androgynous, broken individual being flayed alive. The Martyr symbolizes the power of a pure sacrifice. When played last during a reading, the Martyr indicates finality and the ending of something momentous. Shadow *Maiden of Lies: a handsome woman with bronze skin, hair made from various writhing serpents. She symbolizes deception but also charm. She is the queen of Shadow, and as such is always the first card from Shadow played during a reading. Her presence indicates that immense subterfuge is involved with the reading’s subject. *Warrior of Darkness: the dichotomy to the Broken Knight, the Warrior has armor made from fog and ebony, hidden beneath a black cowl and beholding an immense jet sword. The Warrior of Darkness brings out the violence in people’s hearts, and is guided by the constellation Destroyer. He foretells disaster and hatred. *Beholder: an aged crone holding a lamp that sheds no light. The Beholder betokens self-delusion and represents a loss of self-esteem. In a reading, she suggests that the subject will experience a loss of clarity and will stumble from their path for a time. *Hidden Blade: a knife wrapped in bloodstained cloth. The Hidden Blade symbolizes self-preservation and obsession. *Mirror: a woman wearing a mirror for a face, reflecting nightmares and eerie figures. The Mirror represents hypocrisy, delusion, and the power of lies. Conversely, if the Mirror is played with the Martyr or Deathspinner in a reading, she represents the opposite: genuinity, clarity, and truth. *Phantasm: a shadow creeping along a wall, fingers splayed to catch an apple atop a pedestal. The Phantasm, like the Hidden Blade, symbolizes self-preservation but at the cost of others. It can indicate that the subject of the reading is a coward. Order *Seat of Knowledge: a throne made from sparkling moonstone and opal, sheathed in royal velvet. The Seat is the crown of Order and is associated with the Titans. It indicates royalty for a subject, and a wealth of knowledge that will lead to personal victory. *Queen of Fate: a celestial goddess seated on a throne made from starlight, weaving chains through the sky -- these chains then bind the stars. The Queen of Fate promises the forcing of fate, making the possible definite, and the removal of free will. *Eternal Watcher: a man holding both eyes in his hand, blood streaking down his pallid features. The Eternal Watcher is consort to the Queen of Fate, and his presence alongside the Queen promises retribution for lawbreakers. He is the power that moves Fate. *Loyal Blade: a golden sword gripped in a shining gauntlet. The Loyal Blade symbolizes respect, and in a reading indicates that the subject will have someone devoted to them at all costs. *Paragon: seated next to a throne, legs crossed, a man wearing an expression of solemn wisdom. He symbolizes law, and the power Fate has over all things. The Paragon suggests that honoring a personal code will bring good fortune. *Scales: a series of golden scales and pentacles, weighing souls. The Scales, when played first or last, indicate that a person’s death is near, and that they will soon be judged. When played elsewhere, the Scales remind others to be grateful for what they have, and not to measure their life against others. Chaos *Broken Magi: a dark robed sorcerer with haunted features riven by black scars, surrounded in flames. He is the patron of the misunderstood and the outcast. He promises retribution against tyrants and oppressors. *Bloody Jester: a fool wearing a crown of blood, jinglebells swinging daggers. The Bloody Jester is the prince of Chaos, and as such represents nihilism, futility, and drunkenness. *Veiled Lady: an emaciated woman wearing expensive jewels, face hidden behind a misty veil. Her place in a reading with a Hanging Man in play indicates obfuscation of innocence and the arbitrariness of law. Without the Hanging man, the Veiled Lady represents shame and things spoken behind closed doors. *Tempest: a maelstrom of water and lightning, devouring a vast warship. The Tempest indicates the coming of a natural disaster, or an illness that will claim many lives. It could also promise victory in war. *Serpent: a thin cobalt snake with striped patterns in a field of flowers. Child of the Maiden of Lies, the Serpent similarly represents deceit, but in the context of friendship. The Serpent warns the subject to keep their friends closer than their enemies. *Corsair: a devilish man astride the prow of a ship, skulls hanging from his ears. He appears only when the subject of a reading should flee. He represents smugglers and pirates and thieves, and indicates that the subject is in great danger. Perhaps what distinguishes the Me'Moine from No'lendo's other creations is how it aspects to certain individuals. Individual cards, for reasons still not fully understood, gravitate and eventually "aspect" (that is, tether) to people spread across time and space. Life *Dreamspinner - Lucy Hilthanra *Grieving Mother - Uaeith Nightwind *Faerie - Rhadek *Keeper - Mellethar Nightwind *Grovewarden - Palayen Lightborn *Fledgling - Orleiss Aelinore Death *Deathspinner - Longshadow *Hanging Man - Gethen Harrow *The Widow - Zoha Vel'priit *Reaper *Forgotten Shade - Nathrodar *Revenant - Sholdiir Sagewood Light *Broken Knight - Carvos Renarus *Maiden of Tears - Ellie Stoutshire *Oracle - Nathaniel "Thice" Browning *Lady of Seven Stars - Annabelle Sylfaen *Creator - Nakamaru the Maelstrom *Martyr - (previously Sindorel Felclar II) Shadow *Maiden of Lies - Benathi Aramil *Warrior of Darkness - Knight Bloodbane *Beholder - Aytandre Levoros *Hidden Blade - Xaranna Greatwind *Mirror - Aniel Veer *Phantasm - Kelara Dawnmourn Order *Seat of Knowledge - Anthyllia Locke *Queen of Fate - The Seeker *Eternal Watcher - Terraneth *Loyal Blade *Paragon *Scales - Varisana Ravenshield Chaos *Broken Magi - Abrim Laurolil *Bloody Jester - Valorie Lorenzi *Veiled Lady - Jiltrys O'Dellion *Tempest *Serpent - The Blackguards *Corsair - Hadrian "Arlen" Locke Category:Artifacts Category:Items